The Basis of Christian Fellowship
The Basis of Christian Fellowship
Carl R. Trueman vs. Scripture
The Ground of Christian Fellowship is the Gospel
As Christian Nationalism trends online, it is interesting to take note of what is being promoted by putatively Reformed evangelical publications. Credo Magazine has recently published a video in which Carl R. Trueman and Matthew Barrett discuss the Reformation and catholicity. In the course of seeking to answer the question
“Did the Reformers consider their reforms a break with the past or a renewal of catholicity?”
Trueman asks
What if church unity wasn’t simply built on soteriology?
This is problematic for a host of reasons.
To begin with, Scripture is clear: Those who believe the Gospel have fellowship with one another. Church unity, in other words, is clearly stated to be soteriological. Scripture states —
And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
…when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles), and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.
…He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
[…]
To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.
I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace.
…if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
[…]
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
As if these positive statements were not enough, God has given negative statements about fellowship as well.
Shall the throne of iniquity, which devises evil by law,
Have fellowship with You?…I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons.
Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols?
…you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
What we do not see in Scripture is the idea that Christians have fellowship with professing Christians who are, in truth, heretics, on the basis of their shared belief in the Trinity. Yet, this is what Trueman is suggesting.
Be discerning, Christians.
Scripture is absolutely clear: Church unity is rooted in sound soteriology. If someone agrees with the Trinity, with the ethical precepts outlined by Scripture, and lives a clean and moral life but denies the Gospel or perverts it — and this is what the Romanists do — we are not to have fellowship with him.
Period.
The Gospel Teaches Us the True Doctrine of God
Secondly, Trueman’s question supposes that there are individuals who can believe the Gospel and yet have a false doctrine of God. This is irrational, absurd on its own merits. And when we look to the Scriptures, we see how foolish the idea truly is —
…of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
…it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
…we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.
Contrary to what Trueman suggests, church unity is based on soteriology, which teaches us the true doctrine of God. One cannot be in fellowship with those who believe a false Gospel, i.e. hold to a false soteriology, for such a person is an unbeliever, worker of darkness, and does not have the knowledge of God.
Ecumenism — An Evil Christians Need to Fight
If soteriology is not the basis of church unity, and the doctrine of the Trinity is, then this implies that fellowship with Rome is not only possible but necessary. To put it another way — If fellowship with Rome was possible because they also believe in the Trinity, then it is the Christian’s moral duty to unite to Rome, for disunity with others in “the household of faith” is sinful. The question, then, becomes this —
Who is a member of the household of faith?
Trueman’s suggestion that Trinitarianism can serve as the ground of unity between professing Christians is an idea that is central to the Federal Vision heresy, and which has animated previous and contemporary ecumenical discussions. This can only be ignored to our shame and peril, for Rome has been trying to unify “separated brethren” under the abominable headship of the pope ever since the Reformation. Trueman’s suggestion, if viewed as an irenic and plausible means of “bridging” the divide between Christians and Roman Catholics, will bring give Christians the impression that our differences with Rome are secondary, and the truth is that they are not.
According to the Holy Spirit, the Gospel is “of first importance.”
—h.
Acts 2:40-42. (emphasis added)
Gal 2:7-9. (emphasis added)
Eph 2:14-22. (emphasis added)
Eph 3:8-12. (emphasis added)
Phil 1:3-7. (emphasis added)
Phil 2:1-11. (emphasis added)
1st John 1:1-7. (emphasis added)
Ps 94:20. (emphasis added)
1st Cor 10:20b-21. (emphasis added)
2 Cor 6:14-16a. (emphasis added)
Eph 5:8-11. (emphasis added)
John 1:16-18. (emphasis added)
2 Cor 2:14. (emphasis added)
2 Cor 4:6. (emphasis added)
1 John 5:20. (emphasis added)
2 John 1:9. (emphasis added)
1 Cor 15:3 & 12-34.
The Basis of Christian Fellowship
Wow! Just from the first minute one can see that Trueman wants to overturn the creeds of the Reformation. He says, No one who has read the material, thinks that the Reformation represents a decisive break intellectually with the past....
Huh? Hasn't he read the Westminster Confession?
"There is no other head of the Church but the Lord Jesus Christ. Nor can the Pope of Rome, in any sense, be head thereof; but is that antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalteth himself in the church against Christ, and all that is called God."
Seems like an "intellectual break with the past" to me.